A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Synopsis: With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

Review: I’m always attracted to stories about Sherlock Holmes and even more when they portray strong women full of intelligence. I therefore admit that I did not wait much to get into the novel. I was then eager to discover the ideas of the author this time!

It was not exactly the story I expected, I admit, especially in terms of Sherlock Holmes but we find very different ideas of what we usually have. We discover Charlotte, a girl ahead of her time who is determined to become someone and not the wife of a man. Yet, despite her father’s agreement declaring that if she promises to try to be a proper woman first, she could do what she wants to, nothing materializes and her parents continue to insist that she marries. To avoid this, she ruins her reputation and flees to try to live by herself, though it will not be as easy as expected. In addition, Charlotte, under the pseudonym of Sherlock Holmes, helps solve cases and the latest is quite complicated. Indeed, her sister is suspected of murdering a woman and our heroine is determined to prove that she isn’t guilty.

I liked Charlotte’s life, to see how she would get by between all that was going on in her life. It was interesting to see that in that period what would happen to her after all these events. However, I admit that I was less taken away by the Sherlock Holmes part, by the letters she writes and it was difficult for me to get into the investigation. It was only towards the end, when Charlotte is in the field that I managed to get interested some more.

So it was an interesting and different novel, and I’m curious to see what will result.

I’ve not had the chance to read or see any Sherlock Holmes interpretation but I’d love to read this one for the mere fact that it features a woman version of Holmes. I’d imagine she’s fierce and intelligent to be able to do the things she must do especially in that era.